Five Day | Forest Garden Masterclass | 8th to 13th Oct 2023

Description

Learn how to design your own forest garden, based on the principles of nature and the patterns of natural forests and how to apply this to your own specific context, conditions and goals. Learn how to produce fruit, meat, eggs, perennial vegetables, medicine, fibre, posts, timber and more in a way that works with nature and regenerates the environment.

Kay will give you an understanding of what forest gardens are, how to design them to work, to be productive and to have the potential for growing abundance for you. You will learn how to choose and integrate plants using guilds,  understand root-stocks, calculate nutrient needs and how to provide for them, and how to find more information, learning about more plants, their needs, uses and place in your forest garden.

You will end up with a step by step process for putting this all together.

You will undertake a small project of designing a forest garden during the workshop, and will have the opportunity to go through the process with support from the teachers, giving you the confidence to go home and design your own straight away.

During the second part of the week Kay will introduce you to the main strategies, skills and techniques needed in order to maintain a forest garden as a regenerative ecological system for production, and for soil, plant and animal health.

We will discuss the need for Nutrient Dense Food, the use of fertilisers and organic sprays, we will practice chop n drop, mulch, grass management and possible establishment methods. We will discuss and practice the pruning of most common plants in forest gardens, including young fruit trees and support species (this was taught previously in a separate pruning workshop)

This workshop provides students with the Forest Garden Design and Forest Garden Management workshops delivered back to back. It also combines well with the separate Koanga Propagation workshop in supporting you to grow your own plants for your Forest Garden.

The welcome will commence at 4:30pm on Sunday, so please arrive any time from 3:00pm onwards, allowing you time to set up your tent/sleeping space and get settled.

The plan for Sunday is:
4:30pm            Welcome
5:00pm            Tea and walk facilities together
6:00pm            Dinner
7:00pm            Introduction circle

Meals Included Here at Koanga we are very aware of how important food is to eco-systems, people, cultures, communities and ultimately our health.

All food served on our courses is:

• Locally Sourced
• Organic
• Unrefined
• Nutrient Dense
• Traditional
• Prepared following Weston A. Price principles

We will not be catering for food preference or intolerance. If you have any concerns regarding this please contact us with your queries [email protected] so we can further discuss.

Camping Facilities Included We have set this workshop up so you are able to camp onsite and use our facilities. You’re also welcome to stay somewhere in Wairoa at your own cost, if you prefer. If you are coming from far away and wish to arrive the night before and leave the day after the workshop you will need to let us know. Usually people arrange their own food and their own cooking facilities during this time.

About Koanga: The Koanga Institute is well known internationally for producing highly competent and knowledgeable students and teachers. We run multiple courses, offer an extensive searchable knowledge-base, publish high quality books and instruction manuals, have internships, apprenticeships and multiple other learning opportunities in organic living, Permaculture, regenerative animal management, appropriate technology and alternative building methods.

The workshops, apprenticeships and internships are for anyone interested in living sustainably, designing their own lives and empowering change in their communities. Koanga Institutes range of leading edge courses impart knowledge and practical skills that will empower you to be more self-reliant and resilient in supporting your family and your local community. These include learning about growing highly mineralized microbially active soil, the basis for nutrient dense food (beyond organic) and holistic health, preparing and acquiring nutrient dense food and many other workshops.

Please note: The Workshop will be confirmed two weeks before it begins. If circumstances prevent the Workshop from going ahead, enrolment fees will be refunded in full.

Payment Options: We can offer an option for you to pay off the Workshop in installments; providing that the Workshop has been paid for in full no later than 2 weeks before the start date. To ask further questions, secure your place or organise payment options please e-mail [email protected]

Cancellation Policy: Students who cancel their place at a workshop with more than three weeks notice will be given an 85% refund, however cancellations after this time can only be refunded 50% of the course fee. Cancellations with less than 48 hours, no refund can be given.